Author: Michael Burns

Author: US design college uses sketchbooks of premier artists to show how trial and error can help the creative process

It’s not the phrase artists expect to hear but Permission to Fail may be just what they need to spark the creative process.

This is the view of the School of Design Gallery at Mount Ida College in Massachussets, which is hosting a wide-ranging show of the sketchbooks of more than 30 well-known graphic designers, illustrators and photographers.

Image: courtesy of Rick Valicenti

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Step 1

It’s not the phrase artists expect to hear but Permission to Fail may be just what they need to spark the creative process.

This is the view of the School of Design Gallery at Mount Ida College in Massachussets, which is hosting a wide-ranging show of the sketchbooks of more than 30 well-known graphic designers, illustrators and photographers.

Image: courtesy of Rick Valicenti

Step 2

More than 250 prints of rough sketches, thumbnail drawings, and production notes, as well as the resulting finished pieces are on display until the end of January.

Step 4

“Great graphic design, illustration, or photography doesn’t spring fully formed from the mind of the artist,” said Jim Fitts, co-curator of the show and professor of graphic design. "Most artists begin by creating a multitude of small thumbnail sketches usually in notebooks, sketchbooks, or journals. Today’s artists want to log on, design and save. They need to take the time to fail - to discover - to create."

Image: courtesy of Brad Holland

Step 5

Guest speakers at the opening reception were were John McHugh, design director of Arnold Worldwide and Bob Domenz, founder and CEO of Avenue in Chicago.

Image: courtesy of Cary Wolinksy

Step 6

McHugh and Domenz lectured about the importance of sketching out your ideas prior to beginning any creative project at the reception.

Image: courtesy of John Cuneo

Step 7

Permission to Fail: Sketchbooks of Graphic Designers, Illustrators, and Photographers is at The School of Design Gallery at Mount Ida College, in Newton, Massachusetts.